Spotting board



1944- w. M. CISSELL I 2,360,331

SPOTTING BOARD Filed 001:. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

INVENTOR WILLIAM M. CISSELL. B XW ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. w. M. CISSELL 2,360,331

SPOTTING BOARD Filed Oct. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i4 23 a n 45 1s a; I\ '2 I I i 4o 38 I 37 m\ II INVENTOR WILLIAM M. CISSELL.

MM, KW

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1944 SPOTTING BOARD William M. Cisscll, St. Matthews, near Louisville, Ky.

Application October 3, 1941, Serial No. 413,430

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dry cleaning apparatus known as spotting boards, and has particular reference to spotting boards that are ordinarily employed in the removal of wrinkles, stains and other foreign matter from fabrics and garments.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for cleaning, shaping or sterilizing woolen, cotton, silk or fabrics made from artificial yarns, wherein the foreign substance and its solvent, whether in vapor, liquid or solid form, are completely removed from the fabric, thereby avoiding spreading of the foreign substance and the drying of the solvent on the fabric, thus efiecting local rather than general cleaning.

The processing and/or reconditioning of furs, the removing of stubborn wrinkles from a wide range of fabrics, and. the restoring of nap upon felts, velvets, plushes and the like requires various treatments and apparatus for subjecting the material under treatment to heat, hot air, cool air, dry steam, a combination of heat, hot air and either wet or dry steam, or a sequence of these forces. Therefore, an important object of this invention is to provide apparatus for supplying all of the forces with which an operator can expeditiously accomplish the desideratum, and which will alternately subject the reverse sides of said material, while retained at a given setting, to air currents prior to, concurrently with or immediately after the application of either dry or Wet steam or a solvent.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus that will subject small, medium or large areas of material to treatment according to the conditions as they develop, thereby avoiding classification of materials for economical operation.

A further object of this invention is to con struct and to arrange the apparatus for accomplishing the above stated objects so that the volatile foreign matter removed from the material under treatment, and the solvents employed therefor, are instantly volatilize d and expelled from the apparatus, and/or the room in which the operations are performed. Accordingly, all foreign matter, offensive odors, and linty substances are readily removed from the spotting board by forced circulation of air therethrough.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 1 in section along the vertical central plane thereof, however, the units for handling steam and air are shown in solid lines.

Figure 4 is a sectional View along lines 4, 4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a sectional View along lines 5, 5 of Figure 2.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a base l0 having a column II from which extends a trough l2 having a screen l3 mounted on a frame or bezel I4 fitted to the marginal or upper edges of the trough l2 to provide a bench or table upon which the garment or fabric may conveniently rest during treatment. In Fig. 2 the screen I3 is removed to illustrate more clearly the parts located within the trough l2.

At the rear or right hand end of trough I2 is located circular openings l5 and 26 for admitting air moved by fan blades 16, into the trough l2, when the blades are in the position indicated by full lines, and for exhausting airdrawn through the screen table l3 and into the trough 12, when the blades l6 are in the position indicated by the dotted lines.

A motor l1 rotates the fan blades [6, which motor is secured in a cradle l8 that is pivotally mounted on perch I9 at 20 to permit horizontal rotation of the motor through an arc of by means of a rod 2! fixed at one end to the cradle and at the other end to an operating knob 22. The rod 2| is journaled in and extends through an arm 23; Thus it will be perceived that the air flow through the trough and the screen table can be reversed by reversing the position of the fan blades. The motor compartment 24 is provided with a removable cover 25, which cover is removed in Fig. 2.

Mounted on base I0 is an apparatus 21 for receiving and storing live steam and condensate, and feeding either steam or condensate, or a mixture of same, to a spray gun 28' via a hose 33. This apparatus is the subject of an application for United States Letters Patent entitled Steam humidifier, Serial No. 342,855, filed June 28. 1940, by William M. Cissell. A lever 39 operates the dry steam valve, and a lever it operates the condensate valve 32. In accordance with the teachings of the aforesaid United States application S. N. 342,855, the lever 39 extends over and above the lever 40, so that the lever 39 engages the lever 40 to open the condensate valve 32 after the lever 39 opens the dry steam valve. Thus it is to be understood that either dry or humidified steam is delivered through hose 33 to the spray gun 28 at the will of the operator.

Actuation by the operator of the steam and condensate valves is effected by operating a pedal 34 that is secured to a rod 34A pivotally mounted in bearings 35, 36 which bearings are carried by an extension 37 of base ID. A crank or arm 34B is secured to the rod 34A, which crank is connected by a chain 38 to the steam valve lever 39. Each valve is normally retained closed by a spring associated with the corresponding valve lever, as indicated by the numeral 40A in Figure 3. As the operator depresses the treadle, the chain 38 pulls lever 39 downwardly and opens the steam valve thereby delivering dry steam to the nozzle of the spray gun, while further depression of the treadle further opens said steam valve and brings the lever 39 into engagement with lever 40 and opens the condensate valve 32, whereupon condensate from the reservoir 30 is syphoned into the hose, and humidified steam is delivered to the spray gun; the degree of humidification varying according to the movement of the treadle.

Steam from the top of reservoir 30 is led by pipe 4| to a steam header 42 located in the trough l2. A manually operated valve (not shown) can be employed to control fluids in pipe 4|. A radiator pipe 43 in closed loop formation is also located in the trough to heat it and the air flowing therethrough for use during certain treatments of specific fabrics. As clearly shown in Figure 3, a portion of this radiator pipe is in actual contact with the trough I3. Accordingly, it will be understood that condensate from the radiator pipe 43 is delivered to the reservoir 30 through pipe 4| and not to the overflow or drain pipe 3|. By this structure, the condensate from the radiator 43 supplements the condensate formed in the reservoir 30, or received in the said reservoir from the steam supply line. Accordingly, this arrangement assures an ample supply of distilled water, especially when the spotting board is located where insuflicient condensate is supplied to reservoir 30 from feed pipe 29, or insufficient condensate is formed in said reservoir.

By maintaining the trough l2 and the air therein at high temperature, all foreign matter removed from fabrics, including chemicals and solvents, are readily maintained suspended in the air or gas flowing through the trough and discharged at the rear opening l5, which open- I ing may discharge into an exhaust duct, thus eliminating oifensive odors and protecting the inner surface of the trough from destructive accumulations.

A valve 44 is connected at 45 to the top of header 42, for controlling the flow of dry steam to a distributor 48. by hand wheel 41. One end of a shank 49 is fixed to the distributor 48, while the other end of the shank 49 rests on the inner surface of trough [2 for retaining the discharge end of the distributor 48 in a selected position. Accordingly, steam can be liberated from the distributor 42 in large quantities for the treatment of fabrics resting on screen table [3, when it is desirable to raise nap or pile on the exposed surface thereof. Simultaneously with this operation air can be drawn through opening l and forced over heating coil 43 and through the fabrics.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have described specifically and in detail a single embodiment of an apparatus by which my invention for processing fabric, as adverted to at the outset of this specification, can be practiced; however, the specific terms herein are used de- This valve is manipulated scriptively rather than in a limited sense, therefore the scope of the invention is not to be limited other than as specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spotting board, comprising in combination; a base; a column mounted on said base; a trough mounted on said column; a steam radiator mounted interiorly of said trough; a steam humidifying apparatus mounted beneath the trough, said apparatus having a reservoir for storing live steam in the top portion thereof and condensate in the bottom portion thereof; means, operatively associated with said radiator and said reservoir, for supplying steam to said radiator and means, operatively associated with said radiator and said reservoir for returning condensate from said radiator to said reservoir.

2. A spotting board comprising, in combination, a hollow body having a perforated surface upon which a garment is placed; a steam distribution chamber mounted within the said body having upper and lower ends respectively; a steam heating loop mounted within the hollow body having one end thereof connected to the upper end of the chamber and the opposite end connected to the lower end of the said chamber; a steam discharging device mounted within the said body; means operatively connecting the upper end of the chamber and the steam discharging device for delivering steam from the upper end of the said chamber to the said steam discharging device; a steam humidifying apparatus having a reservoir for storing live steam in the top portion thereof and for storing condensate in the bottom portion thereof; and means operatively connecting the top portion of the reservoir and the lower end of the chamber, for delivering steam from the reservoir into the said chamber and for returning condensate from the chamber into the said reservoir.

3. A spotting board comprising in combination, a hollow body having a surface upon which a garment is placed; a steam chamber mounted within the said body having upper and lower ends respectively; a steam heating loop mounted within the said body having one end thereof connected to the upper end of the chamber and the opposite end thereof connected to the lower end of the chamber; a steam humidifying apparatus having a reservoir for storing steam in the top portion thereof andfor storing condensate in the bottom portion thereof; and a pipe connecting the top portion of the reservoir and the lower end of the'said chamber, for delivering steam from the reservoir into the said chamber and for returning condensate from the chamber into the said reservoir.

4. A spotting board comprising, in combination, a hollow body' having a perforated surface upon Which a garment is placed and a partition therein dividing the same into separate compartments, the said partition having an opening therein providing communication between the said compartments; the outside wall of one of the said compartments opposite the said partition having an opening therein providing communication between the said one compartment and the outside; a motor-driven fan movably mounted within the said compartment and adapted to be moved into one position wherein the motordriven fan moves air from the outside through the openings, and the said one compartment, into the other compartment where it is expelled through the perforated surface thereof, and into a reverse position wherein the motor-driven fan moves air from the said other compartment through the Openings and the said one compartment to the said outside.

5. A spotting board comprising, in combination, a hollow body having a surface upon which a garment is placed; a steam chamber mounted within the said body having upper and lower ends respectively; a steam heating pipe having one end thereof connected to the upper end of the chamber and extending outwardly adjacent 10 the said garment receiving surface, and the oppo- 

